Image auxiliary data searching and displaying method and document camera using such method

Abstract

An image auxiliary data searching and displaying method is used in a document camera. The document camera includes a processor and a user interface. The processor is accessible to a database. The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method includes steps of performing an image-selecting operation on an image of the to-be-displayed object via the user interface to generate a target image, processing the target image by the processor to generate a target characteristic property, searching the database by the processor according to the target characteristic property so as to generate a search result, and simultaneously displaying at least one image auxiliary data from the search result and the image of the to-be-displayed object for comparison.

1 . An image auxiliary data searching and displaying method for use in a document camera, the document camera comprising a processor and a user interface, the processor being accessible to a database, the image auxiliary data searching and displaying method comprising steps of:
 performing an image-selecting operation on an image of a to-be-displayed object via the user interface, thereby generating a target image;   processing the target image by the processor, thereby generating a target characteristic property;   searching the database by the processor according to the target characteristic property so as to generate a search result; and   simultaneously displaying at least one image auxiliary data from the search result and the image of the to-be-displayed object for comparison.   
     
     
         2 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 1  wherein the database is included in a memory unit, wherein the memory unit is built in or externally connected to the document camera, or in communication with the processor through a local area network. 
     
     
         3 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 1 , comprising steps of:
 performing image recognition about color distribution, shape or fraction of the target image, thereby generating the target characteristic property;   performing image recognition about color distribution, shape or fraction on the image contents of files included in the database by the processor, thereby generating auxiliary characteristic properties; and   performing search-match on the target characteristic property and the auxiliary characteristic properties by the processor, thereby generating the search result including match files.   
     
     
         4 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
 performing image recognition about image-to-character conversion on the target image, thereby generating the target characteristic property; and   performing search-match on the target characteristic property and auxiliary characteristic properties of files stored in the database by the processor, thereby generating the search result including match files.   
     
     
         5 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of selecting at least one of match files from the search result as the image auxiliary data via the user interface, and simultaneously displaying the image auxiliary data and the image of the to-be-displayed object. 
     
     
         6 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 1  wherein the image-selecting operation is performed by circumscribing a selected area of the image of the to-be-displayed object via the user interface, thereby generating the target image. 
     
     
         7 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of performing the image-selecting operation comprises sub-steps of:
 generating a boundary frame; 
 overlapping the boundary frame with the image of the to-be-displayed object, so that the image of the to-be-displayed object is divided into an emphasized area and a not-emphasized area; and 
 sheltering the not-emphasized area and displaying the emphasized area. 
 
     
     
         8 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 1  wherein the image auxiliary data and the image of the to-be-displayed object are displayed in a side-by-side manner or a picture in picture (PIP) manner. 
     
     
         9 . An image auxiliary data searching and displaying method for use in a document camera, the document camera comprising a processor and a user interface, the processor being connectable to an internet, the image auxiliary data searching and displaying method comprising steps of:
 performing an image-selecting operation on an image of a to-be-displayed object via the user interface, thereby generating a target image;   uploading the target image to the internet by the processor;   searching a network database by a network search engine of the internet according to the target image so as to generate a search result;   downloading at least one image auxiliary data from the search result by the processor; and   simultaneously displaying the image auxiliary data and the image of the to-be-displayed object.   
     
     
         10 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 9 , further comprising steps of:
 performing image recognition about color distribution, shape or fraction on the target image by the network search engine, thereby generating a target characteristic property;   performing image recognition about color distribution, shape or fraction on the image contents of files included in the network database of the internet by the network search engine, thereby generating auxiliary characteristic properties; and   performing search-match on the target characteristic property and the auxiliary characteristic properties by the network search engine, thereby generating a search result including match files.   
     
     
         11 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 9 , further comprising steps of:
 performing image recognition about image-to-character conversion on the target image by the network search engine, thereby generating a target characteristic property; and   performing search-match on the target characteristic property and auxiliary characteristic properties of files stored in the network database of the internet by the network search engine, thereby generating the search result including match files.   
     
     
         12 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 9 , further comprising a step of selecting at least one of match files from the search result as the image auxiliary data via the user interface, and simultaneously displaying the image auxiliary data and the image of the to-be-displayed object. 
     
     
         13 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 9  wherein the image-selecting operation is performed by circumscribing a selected area of the image of the to-be-displayed object via the user interface, thereby generating the target image. 
     
     
         14 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 9  wherein the step of performing the image-selecting operation comprises sub-steps of:
 generating a boundary frame; 
 overlapping the boundary frame with the image of the to-be-displayed object, so that the image of the to-be-displayed object is divided into an emphasized area and a not-emphasized area; and 
 sheltering the not-emphasized area and displaying the emphasized area. 
 
     
     
         15 . The image auxiliary data searching and displaying method according to  claim 9  wherein the image auxiliary data and the image of the to-be-displayed object are displayed in a side-by-side manner or a PIP manner. 
     
     
         16 . A document camera having an image auxiliary data searching and displaying function, the document camera comprising:
 an image pickup module for capturing an image of a to-be-displayed object, thereby generating a real-time signal;   a processor in communication with the image pickup module for receiving the real-time signal and outputting the image of the to-be-displayed object, wherein the processor is also in communication with a memory unit and accessible to a database of the memory unit; and   a user interface in communication with the processor for performing an image-selecting operation on the image of the to-be-displayed object, thereby generating a target image,   wherein the target image is processed by the processor to generate a target characteristic property, and the processor searches the database according to the target characteristic property so as to generate a search result, so that at least one image auxiliary data from the search result and the image of the to-be-displayed object are for simultaneously displayed.   
     
     
         17 . The document camera according to  claim 16  wherein the memory unit is built in the document camera, externally connected to an assembly interface of the document camera, or connected to a local area network which is connected to the processor, to communicate with the processor. 
     
     
         18 . The document camera according to  claim 16  wherein the processor performs image recognition about color distribution, shape or fraction on the target image to generate the target characteristic property; performs image recognition about color distribution, shape or fraction on the image contents of files included in the database to generate auxiliary characteristic properties, and performs search-match on the target characteristic property and the auxiliary characteristic properties to generate the search result including match files. 
     
     
         19 . The document camera according to  claim 16  wherein the processor performs image recognition about image-to-character conversion on the target image to generate the target characteristic property; and performs search-match on the target characteristic property and auxiliary characteristic properties of files stored in the database to generate a search result including match files. 
     
     
         20 . The document camera according to  claim 16  wherein the user interface includes a mouse, a keyboard, a handwriting sensor module or a remote controller, and the image-selecting operation is performed by circumscribing a selected area of the image of the to-be-displayed object via the mouse, the keyboard, the handwriting sensor module or the remote controller, thereby generating the target image. 
     
     
         21 . A document camera having an image auxiliary data searching and displaying function, the document camera comprising:
 an image pickup module for capturing an image of a to-be-displayed object, thereby generating a real-time signal;   a processor in communication with the image pickup module for receiving the real-time signal and outputting the image of the to-be-displayed object, wherein the processor is also connectable to an internet; and   a user interface in communication with the processor for performing an image-selecting operation on the image of the to-be-displayed object, thereby generating a target image,   wherein the target image is uploaded to the internet by the processor, a network search engine of the internet searches a network database according to the target image so as to generate a search result, and at least one image auxiliary data from the search result are downloaded by the processor, so that the image auxiliary data and the image of the to-be-displayed object are simultaneously displayed.   
     
     
         22 . The document camera according to  claim 21  wherein image recognition about color distribution, shape or fraction is performed on image contents of files included in the database by the network search engine to generate auxiliary characteristic properties, and search-match is performed on the target characteristic property and the auxiliary characteristic properties by the processor to generate the search result including match files. 
     
     
         23 . The document camera according to  claim 21  wherein search-match is performed on the target characteristic property and auxiliary characteristic properties of files stored in the network database of the internet by the network search engine, thereby generating the search result including match files.